


Daddy Dearest

by unenchantingly



Series: Heliophilia [5]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Daughter of Apollo!Reader, F/M, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Mention of Death, Pre-Relationship, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:53:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27590285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unenchantingly/pseuds/unenchantingly
Summary: “Remember what I told you buttercup! You need to concentrate on the light within you. I have a haiku to commemorate my visit-““That’s alright, dad. Thank you,” you cut him off quickly, not wanting to have to suffer through that.Apollo ignored you, clearing his throat, and holding up his hands dramatically.“Crying is okay,concentrate on your own light,shine bright like your dad.”“Gee, thanks dad.” you muttered, not really knowing what to say to that.-----Alternatively: your father pays you a visit after the death of your mother
Relationships: Percy Jackson/Reader
Series: Heliophilia [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959973
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	Daddy Dearest

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! You have stumbled about a story with an overarching plot following a daughter of Apollo and the trials and tribulations she faces. It will start in Percy Jackson and The Olympians and continue into Heroes of Olympus. It is a Percy Jackson/Reader fanfic. Comments and constructive criticism are very much welcome!
> 
> The characters and the plotline of the books are not mine and belong to their respective owners. The story is mine, however, as is the character of ‘the reader’. Please do not publish this story elsewhere without asking for my permission.
> 
>  **Additional note:** So, spoiler warning (but I feel like I should mention this before you start reading); in this installment, the reader's mother passed away due to a mysterious illness. This seems a bit vague right now, but it will all become clear in the later installments. Also, I'm not too sure about my portrayal of Apollo but I really wanted him to have a special connection to the reader-

Summer at Camp Half-Blood was a lot more fun than winter at Camp Half-Blood. There were fewer campers and the outdoor activities were a lot less fun given the cold of the snow. Camp Half-Blood had magic boundaries. Nothing was allowed to enter the camp unless Mr. D allowed it. You did not understand why he would want it to snow. Sure, it was pretty to look at, but it was so _cold_. As a child of Apollo, you were not too fond of the cold, wet, damp snow, especially when you were spending most of your time in the forest, shooting at trees.

After your helped Clarisse and Percy get Ares’ war chariot back from her two immortal brothers Phobos and Deimos, you had spent a week in Manhattan before you decided to go back to Camp Half-Blood. You had spent most of that week with Percy showing him all his favorite places in New York, and it was amazing. It was probably the best week you had in a while. Then, tragedy struck and your mother passed away. The funeral was beautiful, and you even sang a song for her. You never liked singing, but your mother would always ask you to sing something for her, and you would always comply. She used to call you songbird because you had such a lovely singing voice – which you attributed to the fact that your father is the God of music. After the funeral, you immediately left for Camp Half-Blood. Your stepfather had asked you to stay. He had told you that he would take care of you and that you would always be a family to him, but you did not want to stay in Manhattan, and you did not want to be a bother to him (monsters were not opposed to lingering in the hallways of your apartment floor, anymore).

Despite there not being all too many campers, most of your friends were year-round campers, so you had enough people to keep you company. The only problem was that you did not want any company. All you wanted to do was shoot at trees, work on your free-run skills, and not think about your mother. Michael had tried to get you to open up. He said that it was good to talk about it and that it was okay to cry. It would help you with the grief. You were not having it. 

So, you spent most of your time in the forest, and you made it clear that no one should bother you, or they would likely be used for target practice. Even Connor and Travis Stoll knew better than to mess with you now.

Today was no exception. You had woken up early and started your daily routine. You had grown used to being up before everyone else, grabbing a bow from the weapons room, and heading off to the forest to train. Your own bow had been eaten by a sea serpent while you had been helping Clarisse in Staten Island, so you had to make do with one from the armory. Along with archery and free-running, you had been trying to conjure up light from the palm of your hand, but to no avail. In your fight against Phobos, you had shown that you have photokinetic abilities. You had wondered whether it was a one-time thing or just an ability that you needed to learn. Chiron had told you to practice. He thought that it was not a one-time thing and that you were blessed with the ability to manipulate light, but you were starting to give up on your abilities.

You were standing in a clearing where the satyrs usually gathered when they had one of their nature councils. It was the place where the most sun shone. You figured that if you were going to manipulate light, it would be best to be in a place with as much light as possible.

You stood with your eyes closed, holding out the palms of your hands and concentrating of creating a ball of light in your hands. You had been at it for a few hours now, but you were determined. Plus, it provided a good distraction. Though, you had been lacking in concentration lately. Whenever you stood still and took time to think, you started thinking about your mother.

“You need to concentrate if you’re going to manipulate light,” a voice spoke from behind you.

You spun around towards the source of the voice you heard and narrowed your eyes as they landed on a blonde man who looked about seventeen or eighteen. He was smiling at you, brightly and playfully, clad in jeans, loafers, and a sleeveless T-shirt that ironically said “soak up the sun”. You knew exactly who he was and you were not happy to see him.

“What are you doing here?” you asked bluntly.

The blonde tsked, “That’s no way to greet your father.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “You look like you could be my older brother, not my father.” You shoved your hands in the front pocket of your hoodie. Well, it was not _your_ hoodie. You were wearing the navy blue hoodie Percy had given to you when he saved you from the fake snakes in Cabin Seven. You had been wearing it a lot. You told yourself it was because it was cold, and you did not have any warm hoodies, but the truth was that Percy’s hoodie brought you comfort.

“I could change appearances if that makes you more comfortable.” Apollo offered.

You shook your head, a sigh escaping your lips, “Why are you here, dad?”

Apollo took a seat on a large tree log that had fallen over and now acted as a bench. The moment he came into the proximity of the log, the snow started melting until it became completely dry. He motioned for you to sit beside him.

You raised your eyebrows but took your place next to your father. You could tell that this was a serious conversation because Apollo's mischievous smirk had been replaced by a look of concern. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your mother,” he said, his tone soft and full of sorrow, “She was an amazing woman, and I cared very much for her.”

You took a sharp breath, before turning to look at your father with an angry glare, “You’re sorry? You cared for her?” you repeated in disbelief. You immediately stood up, pointing accusingly at your father. “You are Apollo, the God of healing. You are a _healer_. You can _heal_ people. You could have healed my mother. You could have saved her life. Don’t tell me that you’re sorry and that you cared for her because if you did then she would not be dead.”

Apollo’s eyes flared with anger, and you knew that you should not have said what you did. Still, you were glad you said it. You expected him to lash out at you, but instead, he shook his head, his anger fading quickly. Instead, his eyes were filled with a gut-wrenching sorry. “You know that is not how it works, buttercup,” he said softly, and you could not stop yourself from letting a tear roll down your cheek.

Your mother used to call you by that name. She had told you that your father always called her buttercup, so to honor him, she would call you buttercup to (unless she wanted you to sing, then songbird came into play).

“I admired your mother as much as I loved her. If I could have saved her, I would have. You need to realize that we aren’t as powerful as we make ourselves out to be. We can be overpowered by other forces, as you will come to realize soon enough,” Apollo paused for a moment, as he did not want to spill too much about the secrets of the future. “I came here to talk to you, even though I am forbidden from doing so, because I wanted to show you that I _do_ care, and I’m worried about you.”

“Worried? Why? I’m fine.”

Apollo gave you a look that read _are you serious right now?_ “I am the God of truth and knowledge. Do you really think you can lie to me?”

You sighed, shrugging your shoulder and taking your seat beside him once more. It was nice and warm beside your father.

Apollo continued, “I examined the illness that took your mother, and it is something ancient. Someone purposely poisoned her, and though I do not know who, I know that it is a part of a large plan that will be set in motion in the future – a plan that you will play a role in.”

You stared at him, skeptically, but Apollo was not done yet. 

“You need to prepare yourself. You have been blessed with a rare gift, and you need to learn how to use it” he locked his eyes with yours, and you nodded in understanding. Your photokinesis was not a one-time thing. “Also, you need to stop shutting everyone out. You’re just like your mother, thinking you need to burden your shoulders on your own to prove that you are independent. It’s your fatal flaw, buttercup.”

You stared at your father for a moment, allowing the words to sink in. You had never met your father before, but from what you had heard from him, he was obnoxious and arrogant, and perhaps even a bit childish. Though, you did not recognize that in him now. He was wise and thoughtful.

“You need to allow yourself time to grieve. Your bother Michael was right, it’s healthy to talk about it. You should not go through this alone.” Apollo stood up, and you know that it meant that his visit had come to an end. “Perhaps you should talk to that boy you like. The one who's hoodie you’re wearing.”

You blushed beet red, “Dad!”

Apollo smiled brightly at you, flashing you a wink, “Here he comes now.”

Turning, noticed the familiar silhouette of one Percy Jackson approaching.

“Remember what I told you buttercup! You need to concentrate on the light within you. I have a haiku to commemorate my visit-“

“That’s alright, dad. Thank you,” you cut him off quickly, not wanting to have to suffer through that. You were a child of Apollo, sure, but you were not the biggest fan of poetry, and your father’s haikus were known to be exceptionally terrible.

Apollo ignored you, clearing his throat, and holding up his hands dramatically. 

_“Crying is okay,_

_concentrate on your own light,_

_shine bright like your dad.”_

“Gee, thanks dad,” you muttered, not really knowing what to say to that.

Apollo grinned and ruffled your hair, and said, “Oh, I got something for you too. You’ll find it in your cabin.” before he walked away, the snow melting from the trees as he disappeared into the forest. You stared after him, wondering if you had imagined all of this, or if you had really just had a meeting with your dad. It was the first time you had ever spoken to him. You had seen him before, though, when you went on a field trip to Mount Olympus. He had winked at you.

By the time Apollo had disappeared, Percy had reached your side.

“Michael said I would find you here. Haven’t heard much from you since we helped Clarisse with her brothers” Percy greeted you, though his eyes were fixed where Apollo had disappeared. “Was that –“ Percy trailed off, already knowing the answer.

You nodded, “Daddy dearest.”

There was a silence, and you were not sure how to break it. You were trembling, and you were having a difficult time keeping your emotions in check. The last thing you wanted to do was cry in front of Percy Jackson.

But when he looked at you, his ocean eyes filled with concern, and asked, “Hey, sunshine, what’s wrong?” you could not help but burst into tears, letting all the emotions you had been bottling up out. He wrapped his arms around you, and you sobbed into his chest. He did not say anything. He did not know what to say. But he did not need to say anything, he just let you cry, until you pulled yourself from his embrace and wiped your eyes with the sleeve of your hoodie.

Percy had not realized that you were wearing his hoodie, but he could not help but let a small smile tug at his lips when he saw. It was too big, but it looked good on you.

“I’m sorry” you hiccupped, “I just. . . my mom died, and I kind of shut down after that. That’s why I haven’t been in touch. I’ve been having a hard time . . . _grieving_.”

Percy’s eyes were soft, and he shook his head at you, “Don’t apologize. I’m so sorry about your mom.”

You mustered a smile, “Thanks, Perce.”

The two of you stood in the clearing for a few minutes. You had your head against his chest, and he had his arms wrapped around you in a comforting hug. Then, you heard the obnoxiously loud singing of your fellow cabin mates.

“The bonfire” you commented, pulling away from Percy once more.

“We don’t have to go.”

“No, it’s okay.” You smiled at him, to emphasize that it really was okay. “I’ve kind of been cutting myself off from civilization. It’ll be good for me to be among my cabinmates and my friends. Plus, I need to head to my cabin. Apollo said he left something for me.”

The two of you started walking back to the cabins.

“So Apollo seems. . .” Percy trailed off again, looking for the right words to describe the God of the sun, but he could not seem to find them, “He gave us a ride to camp after our mission in his sun chariot. Thalia also scorched New England.”

You turned to him, “Oh yeah, your mission. How did that go? Did you get the half-bloods?”

Percy frowned, and he told you how he did get the two half-bloods, but they had lost Annabeth in the process, and Artemis had gone to search for them.

“So, the Hunters are here? That’s not going to end well” you commented, and you noticed Percy’s frown deeper at the mention of the Hunters of Artemis.

“Have you ever considered joining them?” Percy asked you, his eyes fixed on yours.

You were surprised by the question, and your cheeks flushed. “Honestly? I have. I mean, I have always been an archer and a group of powerful female archers in service of a goddess? Sounds like a dream come true” you admitted, and before Percy could reply (and you could tell that he was not happy with your answer), you hastily added, “But then I realized that it would be leaving all my friends behind. I could never leave Michael, Connor, Travis, or you.”

Percy considered you for a moment, before smiling at you. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and guided you to your cabin. He had originally paused in front of the entrance awkwardly and you laughed, “You can come in, you know.”

So, you entered the cabin, and Percy followed in pursuit. You guided him to your bed, which was all the way in the back corner of the cabin. The cabin had changed since the last time he had been in it. Your bed was no longer a bunk-bed, but a single bed stuck underneath a window, with a little nightstand and a small furry rug laid out in front of it. A large suitcase stuck out from under your bed. You had not unpacked your things yet.

Michael smiled at you when you passed him, and he got up off of his bed and followed you to yours. “You’ve got a package. It appeared an hour ago and I’ve been dying to know what it is,” he said, pulling you into a side hug. He gave you a knowing smile, and you were grateful that he had not commented on your puffy red eyes.

You picked up the small package and unwrapped it carefully to reveal a small yellow box. Inside the box was a simple gold bracelet with a charm in the symbol of the sun. There was no note in the box, but you already knew who had given you the present. You smiled and put on the piece of jewelry. You touched the charm, and the bracelet transformed into a beautiful golden bow, with beautiful carvings of the sun, the moon, and the stars adorning the handle. On your back was a quiver, filled with celestial bronze arrows decorated with white feathers and golden details. It was obviously magical, as it had appeared the same time your bracelet turned into your beautiful new bow.

“Wait, is it like the bow and quiver that the Hunters of Artemis have?” Michael thought out loud, admiring your new weapon.

“Oh so, the quiver magically appears when you need it, right?” Percy asked, looking interested.

You smiled, eyes staring lovingly at your new weapon. It was ten times better than the one the sea serpent had chewed up. While Percy and Michael discussed the magical properties of your new bow, you looked at the sun as it shone through your window.

 _Thanks, dad_.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Timeline** : The Titan's Curse  
>  **Reader** : Fourteen years old  
>  **Percy** : Fourteen years old  
> 


End file.
